This perennial herb can be cooked as a pot herb when quite small, at it is also used as a medicinal herb. The name says it all! "Motherwort" refers to the herb's ability to sooth or cure menstrual disorders, and the Latin name, Leonurus cardiaca,refers to it's effect on the heart.

You can find this herb pretty much anywhere. It grows in wet soil and dry, sun or shade. Young Motherwort looks a little different than the mature plant, which has more spiky leaves and small purple flowers close to the stem. When I was a little girl, I remember I would purposely avoid this plant while picking wild black raspberries because bumblebees love the flowers. Of course back then I didn't know it was edible or medicinal. But now YOU know.